Featured Calvinism Fact Sheet #3, by Joel Barnes: Limited Atonement ( Jesus Actually Saves)

Thanks for such a clear presentation of truth.

 

The religion of man doesn't believe that the death of Christ alone results in the Eternal Salvation of all for whom Christ died, namely His Sheep Jn 10:11,15 or His Church Eph 5:25, or His People Matt 1:21.

His death for His people produces saving results Jn 12:32-33 23,24

32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.

23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

 

10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Exactly so, Christ redeemed those He was sent to save, because they were sons and future heirs of the kingdom of God know only to God, this was not revealed to them until God sent the Spirit of Christ into their heart.

1 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.

3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

 

The Death of Christ alone saved them he died for, namely the Elect, the Sheep, since by His One Offering they were sanctified unto God once and for all Heb 10:10

10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

 

The word sanctified here in Heb 10:10 is the word hagiazō and means:

to purify by expiation: free from the guilt of sin

The Death of Christ has freed them He died for from the guilt of sin. It also agrees with Heb 1:3

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
The word purged is the word katharismos:

a cleansing from the guilt of sins wrought by the expiatory sacrifice of Christ

So cleansing from and freedom from the guilt of sin is automatically a saving result of the death of Christ !

 

A companion verse of Heb 10:10 which confirms the saving result of them Christ died for, namely His Sheep, its Heb 10:14

14 For by one offering[His death] he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Now who are the them that are sanctified ? Look again at Heb 10:10, and how were they sanctified ? Now these by that same means, Christs death are said to be perfected forever ! This includes their Justification before God, a complete cleansing of all the guilt of their sins. And that for ever !

 

The Blood/Death of Christ not only legally saved all for whom He died, but it also effects experiential salvation or conversion. Heb 9:12-14

12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

"How much more shall the blood of Christ purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

You see this ? Its the powerful Blood of Christ that converts them He died for unto serving the living God. That means they shall live by the Faith of Christ unto serving the True and Living God.

1 Thess 1:9

For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

This is a result of the powerful effectual blood of Christ !

 

Christs blood/Death converts them He died for, His Church or Sheep into a kingdom of priests Rev 1:5-6

5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

 

See as a result of His Blood shed and consequently it washes those He died for from their sins, He makes, produces them into spiritual priests. The word made in Rev 1:6 is the word poieó and means:


to make, do

Usage: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause.


with the names of the things made, to produce, construct, form, fashion,


to create, to produce: of God, as the author of all things, τί or τινα, Matthew 19:4; Mark 10:6; Luke 11:40; Hebrews 1:2; Acts 4:24; Acts 7:50; Acts 17:24; Revelation 14:719


The death of Christ results in a new creation !

 

Redeemed from the curse of the Law !

Those Christ died for are consequently saved, redeemed from the curse of the Law. Gal 3:1329

13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Now it tells us specifically how these believers were redeemed from the curse of the Law. Succinctly stated "being made a curse for us:" This refers to His death, its the same as when he wrote to the Church at Corinthians these words "For he hath made him to be sin for us"

So anyone for whom Christ died, has been redeemed from the curse of the Law.

So when Jesus shall say to these Matt 25:41

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Its absolutely impossible any of these on left hand, can be anyone Christ was made sin or a curse for !

 

Another passage of scripture that Illustrates and proves that Christs death effects saving/converting results is 1 Pet 1:18-21

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

 

Christs death accomplished/effected both Justification and Reconciliation for them He died for, His Elect Rom 5:9-11

9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement/reconciliation.44

 

The problem with man made religion that goes out in the name of Christ is this:

They don't believe nor acknowledge that Christ Work alone for those He died for, His Sheep, that it made the salvation of their souls sure and effectual !

 

Christs death ensures for all whom He died, deliverance from this present evil world[Salvation] according to the Will of God !

Gal 1:4-5

4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.52

That fact Glorifies God the Father !

 

Even the ability to come to Christ in faith is a gift based upon the cross of Calvary. At the cross, Christ purchased for His people the Grace to believe in His name Phil 1:29

29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake

Gal 6:14

14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

 

Christ death results in the salvation of those He died for, so much so, He is called the Captain of their Salvation Heb 2:1063

10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Mine you, this is in the context of having tasted death for every man in Vs 9. Through and by His death, or His suffering unto death, He became the Captain of their Salvation, through tasting[experiencing] death. Now the word captain is the greek word archēgos and means:

the author, that by which anything begins to be, the origin, the active cause

So by His sufferings, tasting death, He became the originator, the active cause, Captain of their Salvation. It was by this means the Father ordained many sons to Glory.

BTW the word captain is the same word author in Heb 12:2

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Christ is the author/source of our Faith. This would include the OT Saints that went before in Heb 11 as well. Christ their Mediator was the source of their faith.

 

Christs death produces saving results in that by it the Children of God/Sheep/Church is gathered unto God Jn 11:50-5269

50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

52 And not for that nation only, but that [in order that] also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

Clearly the purpose of His dying for that nation [jews] but not them only[gentiles] was for the gathering of them together to form them into One People unto God. This is also expressed earlier in John here Jn 10:16

15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

The word bring here serves the same purpose as the word gather in Jn 11:52.

The word gather means συνάγω:

to lead together, bring together, come together (pass.), entertain
Usage: I gather together, collect, assemble, receive with hospitality, entertain.

to join together, join in one (those previously separated):

This speaks to the jews and gentiles being once separated, now being brought together by the death of Christ Eph 2:11-19

11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
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This gathering was prophesied in the OT here Gen 49:9-10

9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Christ is Shiloh. This is probably what Caiaphas the high priest was moved to utter about Jn 11:49ff

The word for gathering in Gen 49:10 is the word yᵊqāhâ:

obedience, cleansing, purging,; obedience:—gathering, to obey.

The Death of Christ was designed to bring together the people of God from among all nations to the obedience of the Faith, under One Head.

 

It is a heresy and false teaching if Christ's death alone does not guarantee a saving result for them He died for ! This applies to those who also teach that Christ died in some non redemptive way for the non elect ! That is, God had subordinate purposes to redemption, which Christs death did not ensure a saving, converting result !91